144 



er was afraid to go from home, for the eight months 

 in the year during which the threshing lasted. 7. It is 

 not only of importance, its being done in a much more 

 perfect manner, but also, that it can be executed much 

 more expeditiously *, in so much, that advantage may be 

 taken of any sudden demand ; a scarce market may be 

 supplied ; a stack of thirty to forty bolls may with ease 

 be threshed in a day, and sent to market, or to the mil- 

 ler; and all this may be done during weather, when the 

 other farming operations must be at a stand. 3. It has 

 been well observed by Mr Broun of Markle, that, if in 

 the large farms of this country, hand labour were to be 

 used for separating corn from the straw, a farmer's 

 whole attention would be taken up by barn work, other- 

 wise the work would be imperfectly executed ; whilst 

 much pilfering would go on, unless he was constantly on 

 the watch f. At a threshing-machine, any'thing of that 

 kind can rarely happen, sn many people being employed 

 together when the machine is at work, constantly under 

 the eye of the master, or of some confidential servant, 

 and when the work is finished, every door is instantly 



properly done or not ; but by the flail, he was almost always 

 at die mercy of the thresher, who grew so weary of so tedi- 

 ous an employment, that it is not to be wondered at he 

 should execute it in a slovenly manner. Besides, the labour 

 was an unwholesome employment, from the dust it was apt to 

 raise, and those who worked at it seldom lived long. 



* Once putting it through the hand-fanners, completes it 

 either for the nvll, or the merchant, and a stack can be 

 threshed out. cleared, sacked, delivered, and might almost 

 be ground, and baked into bread, in one aud the same day. 



f The doors, of the barns formerly were almost constantly 

 op:n. 



